Making the connection

AFTER pulling in more than 2000 customers over two days, Alderley Edge farmer Andy Morrison has been heralded as a leading example of a farm which connects with its consumers. how we can embrace the consumer by letting people see what we do.”

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AFTER pulling in more than 2000 customers over two days, Alderley Edge farmer Andy Morrison has been heralded as a leading example of a farm which connects with its consumers.

Andy of Horseshoe Farm held the open days with Urban Tipis earlier this year and used the Scandinavian tents to sell his own produce as well as hosting stalls for other farmers.

He said: “We thought it would be a good idea for them and us, as people wouldn’t think of hiring a tipi in winter.

“We had a wood burning fire, it was really cosy and had other farmers and stalls, so it was like a farmers’ market.

“We weren’t competing against anyone except the supermarkets.

“Everyone was very upbeat.”

Andy is passionate about farm-sourced food and is keen to increase awareness among the community of how food ends up on their table.

He also believes the open days give an opportunity to show people how well treated the animals are and to see farmers’ compassion towards their livestock and the countryside.

He said: “We were able to inform about what we do and where the food comes from and allow people to see what we do.” As well as its award winning sausages, Andy cures his own ham and bacon from the farm’s pigs, hangs his own beef, rears traditional bronze turkeys and has recently opened a bakery.

Andy said: “It was like a village fete with people coming from the village.

“Although Alderley is a village, it was nice to have that spirit back.

“It certainly raised the profile of the shop and the farm.

“It’s the second year we’ve done this and I think we will do it again.”

Andy was singled out at the 18th Cheshire Farming Conference where communicating with the public was among the topics discussed.

Lead speaker and Cheshire’s Young Business Person of the Year Diana Bendall said farmers had a lot to gain from connecting with the public to convey a positive message about farming.

She said: “We need to tell the public that food is not from the supermarket it’s produced on a farm.

“We need to know what people think about farming and correct their misconceptions.”

Andy, who regularly speaks at farmers’ conferences, said: “It’s nice to be able to give people, especially younger farmers, the opportunity to see ways of pushing themselves forward and how we can embrace the consumer by letting people see what we do.”